The Golden Couple (The Samantha Project Series, # 2) (40 page)

“I can’t promise you that I won’t say anything to him.”

“Sam, are you coming?” Colin was calling me from his room.
 

“Yeah, just a minute.” I turned back to Erik. “We can talk tomorrow. Goodnight, Erik.”

I went back to the room, and got into bed next to Colin. “I’m so tired. I barely slept at that place.”

Colin turned off the light. “Sam, is there something you want to tell me? Do you want to talk about what happened there?”

“No. It’s too soon.” I turned on my side, away from him.
 

“Because you can tell me anything. You know that, right?”

“Yeah. Of course.”
 

“If something happened while you were there—”

“Like what, Colin?”

“I don’t know. Anything. It doesn’t matter what it is. I’m just saying that you can tell me.”

“Colin, could we talk tomorrow? I’m really tired.”

“Sure.” He put his arm around me and moved in closer. “I love you, Sam.”

“I love you, too. Goodnight.”

I did love Colin. But part of me also loved Erik. And now Erik and I shared this secret. As much as I tried to sleep that night, my mind wouldn’t let me. A scene of me telling Colin the truth kept playing over and over again in my head. Each time, I imagined him never speaking to me again.
 

When I wasn’t thinking of Colin, I thought of Brittany, all alone, trapped at GlobalLife. And I could still hear that timer in me, ticking away. What if the alien base codes didn’t work?

Although I was relieved to have escaped from GlobalLife, there were so many more challenges yet to face. And so many more secrets to be revealed.

From the Author

Thanks for reading
The Golden Couple
! If you liked it, please leave a review or tell a friend!

If you want to find out what happens next to Samantha and the gang, book 3,
A Chosen Destiny
, is now available. Keep reading if you’d like to check out a sample chapter!

I love to hear from readers so connect with me at:
 

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stephaniekarpinske.com

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A Chosen Destiny, Book 3 in the series, continues where book 2 left off. Here’s the first chapter…

CHAPTER 1 of A CHOSEN DESTINY: THE SAMANTHA PROJECT Series, #3

“Sam, are you awake?” Colin whispered. Hearing his voice and feeling him there beside me, I remembered that I was finally free from GlobalLife. I was safe, at least for a little while, and reunited with Colin, the boy I’d known since childhood. And the boy I loved.
 

“I’m awake,” I whispered, turning to him.

In the dim light, I could see Colin looking at me as if he couldn’t believe I was really there. I couldn’t believe it either. Just yesterday, I was with Erik, the boy I’d met just weeks earlier. The boy I shared an indescribable connection with. The boy who had enhanced genes just like me. Together we were held prisoner at GlobalLife Genetics in Reykjavik, Iceland. It was there that we grew close. Too close. We managed to escape and make it to this underground safe house. But our time together resulted in a secret that would change our lives forever.

“How do you feeI?” Colin asked. Knowing GlobalLife had nearly tortured me in Minnesota, I knew Colin assumed that the same, or worse, things had happened to me this time.
 

“I feel okay. It wasn’t like last time, Colin.”

He ran his hand up and down my arm. “I really didn’t think you’d get out of there, Sam.”

“I didn’t either. But let’s not talk about it.” I snuggled into his arms. “I’m here now. Right where I want to be.”

I wished more than anything that I could stay there in his arms and not have to face the day. Because facing the day meant that I would have to tell Colin the truth. Soon he would know about the pregnancy. He would know what Erik and I had done.
 

Colin brushed my hair aside and kissed me. “As much as I don’t want to, we should probably get up, Sam.”
 

I nestled into his chest. “I’m staying right here. All day.” I tried to memorize the way I felt in his arms, knowing that he and I would never be this close again.

He nudged me. “Sam, we’re supposed to meet with Dave and Jack to go over the procedure. We need to get that timer turned off. Then we won’t have to worry about it anymore and we can do more of this.” He kissed me again, slower this time.
 

I felt guilt building inside me. I moved even closer, securing my arms around him and not letting go.

He laughed, trying to unhook me from him. “Sam. Come on. You’re only making this harder. We’ll never get up.”

“Just a little longer.” I held on, not letting him break away.
 

“Okay. But I’m telling Dave that it’s your fault we’re late.”
 

After a few more minutes, Colin sat up. “Sam, they’re probably down there waiting for us.”

He started to get out of bed, but I stopped him. “Colin?”

“Yeah?” He smiled, his warm brown eyes looking back at me.
 

“I love you. And I always will.” He had no idea how much meaning was behind those words.
 

He leaned over and kissed me. “I love you, too, Sam.”
 

Sadness overwhelmed me because I knew that I would never hear those words from him again.
 

I reluctantly got out of bed. There was no time to shower, so I threw on some jeans and a sweatshirt and Colin and I headed down to the common area. Erik and his dad, Jack, were already sitting there waiting. Next to them was Uncle Dave. He wasn’t my real uncle but had played the role for as long as I could remember.

“Did you tell him?”
Erik thought to me as I sat down. Our telepathy was effortless after spending so much time together at GlobalLife.

“Not yet. It’s not the right time.”

“You have to tell him, Sam.”

“I know. Just not now. I’m not ready.”

Dave started talking. “Well, there’s a lot we need to discuss but—”

“Wait,” I interrupted. “I know you want to talk about the timer, but can we first talk about Brittany? We have to get her out of GlobalLife before they do something to her.”
 

“There’s a whole team working on getting your sister out of there,” Jack said. “But it’s been very difficult.”

“I don’t care if it’s difficult. They have to get her out. GlobalLife could—they could kill her!”

Jack sighed. “I’m sorry, Sam. But there’s nothing any of us can do right now. We just have to wait a few more days.”

“But she needs to get out now, Jack,” I insisted. “Like, today.”
 

“They need to wait for the right time. Apparently, GlobalLife is moving her to a different facility soon. Owens’ men plan to intercept the vehicle she’ll be riding in on the way to the new facility. They have a much better chance of success doing that than trying to break into GlobalLife, especially now that security has been tightened up following your escape.”

I didn’t like his answer, but at least there was a plan to get Brittany out. It just wasn’t soon enough. Brittany was the twin sister I’d learned about just weeks ago. GlobalLife made her to act as a control subject in their genetic enhancement project. She had no enhanced genes and no special abilities.
 

“Go ahead, Uncle Dave,” I muttered. “Sorry to interrupt.”
 

“Sam, none of us are dismissing your concerns for your sister. But right now, we need to focus on the procedure that will disable the timer. We can’t wait on this.”

The timer was really a piece of software embedded in my cells. When I turned 20, it was programmed to set off a series of biochemical reactions meant to kill me. It was a safeguard GlobalLife put in me just in case I wasn’t in their possession. If they couldn’t have me, nobody would. The timer was in Erik as well. It could be turned off by filling in a broken DNA fragment in our cells with a rare genetic material sourced from ancient alien remains found in Greece years ago. The genetic material was a type of alien DNA. This alien DNA was already in some sections of our genes and was responsible for giving us unique abilities, like telepathy and enhanced hearing, vision, and strength. Erik and I had stolen two vials of the alien genes before we escaped from GlobalLife. Now that we had the genes, we could have a procedure to insert the material into that broken fragment of DNA, stopping the timer.

“When’s the procedure happening?” Erik asked. “Later this week?”
 

“Tomorrow, actually,” Jack replied. “While you and Sam were at GlobalLife, Dave and I were helping with the preparations. Now that we have the genes, we’re working with the geneticists and doctors here to go over the final details of how this will work. We’re meeting with them later this morning to discuss any concerns.”

“Which is why you need to tell them about the baby, Sam,”
Erik thought to me.
“They need to know about the pregnancy before you have this done.”

“Yeah. I got that! Now get out of my head!”

“What type of concerns?” Colin laced his hand with mine. I loved it when he held my hand. Our hands fit perfectly together. It was another thing I would miss about him.

“We don’t know until we review the final computer models built using the gene samples Sam and Erik brought here last night,” Dave said. “But since the alien base codes are already in other sections of their DNA, there should be no problems.”

Erik’s thoughts got louder.
“Are you telling them or should I?”
 

“I will! But not right now.”

Jack turned to Erik and me. “Later this morning, you two need to go down to the medical office. They’ll do some blood work and a standard physical as well as some other tests.”

“See? Just tell them,”
Erik thought to me. “
They’ll find out anyway after you have those tests.”
 

“Stop rushing me!”
I shouted in his head.
 

My heart raced as I became more and more nervous. I couldn’t tell Colin about the pregnancy—at least not at that moment. I’d have to do it later, when we were alone.

“Colin, why don’t you go shower and get ready. I’d like you to come with me when I have those tests done.”

“Yeah, okay. I won’t be long.” He kissed my forehead, then left down the hall back to his room.

Dave and Jack started talking about the computer models they’d built. I couldn’t concentrate on anything they said. Eventually, they got up to leave.
 

Erik glared at me.
“Now, Sam.”
 

“Wait. I have something to tell you both.” I kept my eyes on Erik. “Actually, Erik and I do.”

“What is it?” Dave sat down again. Jack remained standing.
 

“I, uh.” I couldn’t get the words out. I felt my heart beating even faster. “Well, when Erik and I were at GlobalLife something—something happened.”
 

Jack looked concerned. “What did they do? Erik, I thought you said they didn’t hurt you two. Are you telling us they did?”

“No, Dad. It’s not like that. What she’s saying is—”

“Erik. Stop. Let me finish.” I took a deep breath before continuing. “When Erik and I were at GlobalLife, they ran a bunch of tests on us and—and they found out that I’m . . .”

Dave put his hand on my shoulder. “Sam, you’re worrying me. What are you trying to tell us?”
 

“That I’m pregnant.”
 

Jack and Dave looked at each other. Then they looked behind me as a voice came from the hallway.

“What did you just say?” I turned to find Colin walking slowly toward me.
 

I shot up from my seat. “Colin, I didn’t know you were—”

“Did you just say that you’re—that you’re pregnant?”
 

“Yes.” My voice was barely above a whisper.

The room was silent. I could hear Colin’s breathing speed up as his anger grew.
 

Erik stood up. “Colin, we can explain. Sam and I—”

Before he could finish, Colin walked over to Erik and punched him hard in the face, knocking him to the ground.
 

“You asshole!” Colin yelled at him. I’d rarely seen Colin angry. And I’d never seen him
that
angry.
 

As Erik got up, Colin prepared to hit him again. Jack and Dave raced over to Colin, each grabbing an arm to hold him back.
 

“What the hell?!” Colin yelled at Erik. “You know she’s my girlfriend!”
 

“Colin! Calm down!” Dave ordered, keeping a hold on him as he continued to lunge at Erik.

Colin ignored Dave, keeping his eyes on Erik. “I knew I couldn’t trust you!”
 

I tried to divert Colin’s attention away from Erik. “Colin, it’s not Erik’s fault. We both made mistakes. And I should have told you about the pregnancy. I didn’t want you to find out this way. I’m sorry.”

Colin turned to me with a look of utter disgust. Anger filled his eyes. He had never looked at me that way. Ever. It was like he was seeing a whole different person. A person he no longer loved and no longer even liked.
 

He relaxed his arms. Jack and Dave let go of him. “How could you do this, Sam? How could you do this to me? To us?”

I could hear the hurt in his voice. It was starting to show in his face. I couldn’t stand to see him that way, especially knowing that I was the cause of it.
 

A tear ran down my cheek. “I’m sorry, Colin. But you don’t understand! I didn’t mean to! I swear—”

Colin interrupted me. “When did this happen, Sam?”

I glanced at Erik to answer. “Last Saturday. A week ago. After some big party at GlobalLife.”

“A week ago?” Jack asked. “That can’t be right, Erik. They wouldn’t know that soon.”

“They have tests that can detect a pregnancy within days.”

“That still seems very early to know,” Dave said.